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The barbell squat is often referred to as the "king of lifts" for a reason; it works every muscle below the bar. Done correctly, with the muscles of the hips are at the very center of the movement, it drives out of the bottom of the lift using the hips. For maximum benefits, the squatter's bottom must go at least parallel to the knees at the bottom point of the squat, despite a pervasive myth that doing so is bad for the knees. A beginning squatter needs to start at a manageable weight and gradually add more each workout to avoid overusing the muscles.